Sacred Images: The Crucifix

Likewise, either on the altar or near it, there is to be a cross, with the figure of Christ crucified upon it, a cross clearly visible to the assembled people. It is desirable that such a cross should remain near the altar even outside of liturgical celebrations, so as to call to mind for the faithful the saving Passion of the Lord.” General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 308

Sacred images are integral to our celebration of the liturgy because they make visible to us the invisible realities of the Mass. But there is one pre-eminent sacred image, one which is so important that its presence is mandated by the General Instruction of the Roman Missal: this is the crucifix. The Church commands us to have this image present during the Mass because it is a necessary, visible reminder of the fact that the Mass makes present the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross: “When the Church celebrates the Eucharist, she commemorates Christ’s Passover, and it is made present: the sacrifice Christ offered once for all on the cross remains ever present” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1364). This is why the cross, the sign of our salvation, is placed on an axis with the altar, where the sacrifice of Calvary is made truly present, though in what the Catechism calls an “unbloody manner”.

The 3 Types of Sacred Images“Through the ages, Catholic churches have been enriched with images of many kinds, recalling sacred history, supporting devotional practice, and providing a foretaste of heavenly realities. Each is important and useful in the life of a Christian, yet each is distinct, and proper usage clarifies their theological and liturgical foundations.

Historical images recall the history of Christianity and keep alive the memory of the saints a biblical events. Examples might include the martyrdom of Saint Peter, Christ in the carpenter shop, or the baptism of Augustine. Historical images are, properly speaking, subordinated to the liturgical elements of a church.

Devotional images are used for personal devotion, either paraliturgically or outside the liturgy. The humanity of a saint is typically emphasized in devotional art, and figures are typically shown with their poses and glances directed toward the devotee. Here the Christian finds a place for individual piety, a strong engagement of the emotions, and a wider range of expressive possibilities. Devotional images properly belong in a distinct area suitable for private prayer, and should not be confused with liturgical art.

Liturgical images reveal the liturgy itself, particularly in its heavenly and cosmic dimensions. Intensely theocentric, liturgical images reveal the glory of the heavenly realm and show the heavenly beings filled with divine life where all is radiant, orderly, and restored. This sort of image is most proper in the sanctuary of a church, though it might flow out into the nave, and belongs to the liturgy itself because it provides ‘signs and symbols of heavenly realities’.

Sometimes different images overlap several categories. A crucifix or crucifixion scene, for instance, could fall into all three: it shows sacred history, can be used for devotion to the Passion of Christ, and remains at the heart of the Sacred Liturgy’s representation of the sacrifice of Christ to the Father.”

Denis McNamara, Catholic Church Architecture and the Spirit of the Liturgy, 156, 160